Piston kicker



6 1 .l. 8 t d 2 e W 6 e 5 R0 .Y. 6, 42 mH m n0, S 9^ N0 O 1 n WH n m Y m S In 2 wm l v A E als L Mm .s 9 a l a K L N b. L O e. o w F H N ...mv E., m.. m 7. m s. .l r. rr 8. 2 2 w .A 2 7, a. 1 nl n P A April 17, 1928.

E. HOLLOWELL PIsToN KICKER Filed Feb, 15 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 17, 1928.

UNITED STA Tas.

,PATENT OFFICE.

,rrsroN Application led February The 4invention relates to locomotive piston kickers and more particularly to apparatus'-` for removing 'pistonY rods from'the crossheads of locomotives.

railway shops to apparatus for removing piston rods from the crosslheads of locomo-Y tives, and the usual piston kicker heretofore employed is secured to the `cross-head so as to Iu'sh against the rear wallof the wristpin ho e` of the cross-head in one dlrectionand the end ofthe piston rod in Vthe oppositeV direction. This method is executed yby de-r vices employing wedges, also screws, and

hydraulic cylinders or jackshave'been' de-V vised for fthe purpose.

' All devices that employ'the wristpinhole for removing piston rods from the crossheadsvof` locomotives are objectionable, as none have been devised 'that are suiiiciently powerful` to Vbe eective, owing to the cramped roombetween the piston rod and the wristpin hole, necessitating accom anying effort such as driving the cross-heav with a heavy Sledge hammer andother auxiliary efforts requiringoften-four andfive hours" timeand sometimes one-and one-half days to remove one piston rod; l'

A further Vobjectionable result of employremovingfpiston 'rodsv is the cracking and breaking of the cross-head resulting further in thetotal loss of the crossshead. y

A still further result ofv 'employing the 'wristpin hole, is the cracking or'rupture of the cross-head that is not detected at the time, the vengine going out andthe crosshead breaking while the engine is running, always resulting in breaking the'companion cylinder and sometimes causing awreck of the train.

i The present invention has provided an improved I,piston kicker with a powerful hy'- draulic cylinder that is attached y.to 'the Y cross-head .and the piston rod removed in a few minutes with no possible resulting in-v jury to the cross-head or piston rod.

By employing the improved piston kicker a great saving of time is effected and abso- Piston kicker is the usual name appliedin ing the wristpiny hole of the'cross-head forv v. incluir:h

15, 192e. semaine. eases.

lute elimination of breakage, Vinjury and 50 wrecks yfrom employing Ypiston -kick'rs is attained. v A 4 Vith these andother objects accomplished the invention consists in the'features ofconstruction, combinations and arrangements of 5 parts ashereinafter set forth, and more -particularly pointed out in the'appended claims, the accompanying drawings 'illustrating' a s form of the improved piston kickersy thathas proven more than satisfactory.

In the drawings f -f Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view `inside'e'levation of a locomotive and of the improved piston kicker. 'Y

Fig. 2 is an inverted plan view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a sectional view on'line3--3-.of Fig. v1', also illustrating a very desirable method of placing the piston kicker in working position. y

l Fig. 4 is a fragmentary-end iview of the piston kicker illustrating the reverse vr'position of the pump 'handle for the opposite "side of theengine from that shown in Fig. 1.

Fig.y 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line 57-5 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 6 is a plan View 'of the hydraulic cylinder ofthe Apiston kicker-and theft-rck employed forpplacing it in working position, also illustrating certain'parts ofthe kicker loaded onV the truck for moving from one locomotive to another. I

Fig. 7 is an enlarged sectional view ofthe :hydraulic cylinder taken "on line 7'7"0f Fig. 6, and showing the plunger' rod :and

of the piston kicker. v f

The cylinder4 8 is of a considerably-larger diameter than could be inserted within the cross-head 3 or'between the wristpin bossesv 9 thereof, so that suiicient force may be o5. exerted to remove the piston rod2 immediately when the force is, applied.

It will be understood that the cylinderfend adjusted-to the desired height bythe bolts.

of a locomotive is commonly called the front end and that the terms front and rear areV applied to all parts in conformity to this rule.

v The cylinder 8 being larger than the internal dimensions of the cross-head, it is for the purpose of the present invention located to the rear of the cross-head as shown and provided with the lugs 10 into which are engaged the hook bolts' 11, the bolts extending upwardly and through the cross bars 12 which rest on the upper guide bar 5.V It will be understood from the yforegoing that the cylinder8 is suspended from theguide barl 5 by the bolts 11 and that it vmaybe 19, drip hole 20, pressure pump 21, release cock 22, release spring 23 and the end 24 of thefplunger rodis provided with the projecting center 25 to engage. the usual hollow kcenter in the end of the piston rod 2 and "maintain the'end `of the plunger rod concentrically with the end of the piston rod.

The pump is actuated by thel lever 26 fulcrumed on the bracket 27, which is secured to the cylinder 8 by the stud bolts 28l and 29.V

In the views Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6 the bracket 217 is secured tothe cylinder 8 by the stud bolt 28, while in F ig. 4 it is secured to the cylinder by the stud bolt 29, this being the means by which the lever is reversed in order to operate on either side of the'locomotive, there vis no change of parts, merely a reverse position.

1n Fig. 3 the truck 30is shown in the posiftion by which the pistonkicker is placed in working position and removed therefrom, t-he truck being constructed as shown so as to reach over the usual step f7.

Y InVFig. 6 is shown a plan view of the truck 30 with certain parts of the piston. kicker loaded thereon as moved from place to place, it being understood that all the parts may be'floaded on the truck.

When it is desired to remove a piston rod from the crosshead of a locomotive, the cylinder 8 is placed'as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3,

with the truck 30 or otherwise and the hook bolts 11 and cross bars 12 attached so as to .suspend the cylinder at the desired height with the projecting` center 25 resting in the usual hollow center inthe end of the piston rod 2. The bolts 14.-, clamp bars 15 and lworking plunger 17 and plunger rod 19 and on the piston rod 2, the piston Vrod being immediately removed `from the cross-head 3. The pull of the cylinder is through the bolt 14; and clamp bars 15 and against the projecting bossed front end 32 of the cross-head soy thatno possible injury can result to the cross-head, Whereas by pulling on the rear wall of the wristpinv hole 33 by wedges, screws and hydraulic cylinders that engage this hole, cross-heads are frequently broken and one and one-half days are sometimes consumed in removing the piston rod.

When the piston rod has been removed the release cock l22 is opened andV the release spring 23 returns the plunger to approximately the position shown in F ig. 7, the liquid passing out through therelease cock.

.The improved piston kicker performs a work immediately for which there has been no practicalv means heretofore known and will eliminate the destruction of many crossheads on a single railway in one year and an occasional train wreck. V

Having` described myinvention, what f claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is i 1. In a piston kicker for removing piston rods from the cross-heads of locomotives, a pair of supporting bars adapted to rest transversely Vupon the guide bar of a locomotive, a cylinder, Aa plunger VV'in said cylinder, a plunger rod projecting froml said'plunger and said cylinder, a plurality of bolts detachably engageable with said cylinder whereby said cylinder can be suspended rearwardly ofthe cross-head from said supporting. bars, said plunger rod adapted to bear against the piston rod when said cylinder is so suspended, a pair ofclamp bars-adapted to be positioned on opposite sides of the piston rod and bear againstthe front end of the cross-liead adjacent the piston rod, bolts to connect said clamp bars and said cylinder, and ,aV pump connected to said cylinder.

2. In a piston kicker for removing piston rods from the cross-heads. of locomotives, a cylinder, means to 'suspend said cylinder from the guide, bar of a locomtive in a'position adjacent one end of the cross-head, means to connect said cylinder immediately around the piston rod to ther oppositev end of the cross-head, a plunger rod projecting from said cylinder and provided with a projecting center to engage the usual hollow center in the' end of the piston-rod and retain said plunger concentric with the piston rod, and a pump arranged to force liquid into said cylinder and project said plunger rod further out of said cylinder. n

3. In a, piston kicker for removing piston rods from the cross-head of locomotives,V a, 5 portable cylinder, a portable means to operatively position said cylinder adjacent one end of the cross-head "of a locomotive and to receive said cylinder when detached from the locomotive, means to connecty said cylinder to the opposite end of the cross-head immediately adjacent the piston rod, a plunger rod projecting from'saidcylin'der to engage the end of the piston rod, and a pump connected to said cylinder.

EVERET HOLLOWELL. 

